Meant to Be: Southern Heat Series by Jenna Harte

studied the liquid in her cup. “Is there booze in this?”
    “Yes. Peppermint booze.”
    She lifted her gaze to his. “Why?”
    “It’s a rainy day and bad things have happened. Chocolate, peppermint, and booze are the best soothers for such days.”
    Her lips twitched slightly. “Thank you.”
    He nodded, plucking a toothpick with a bacon-wrapped tater round and popping it into his mouth. Sydney stared at him over the rim of her cocoa.
    “Just don’t tell anyone. It’s strictly off the menu.” He pushed the plate toward her. “Want one?”
    “I think one vice at a time is safer.”
    He feigned ignorance. “What’s wrong with bacon and fried potatoes? They’re two of the four main food groups in the South.”
    Her smile widened, reminding him how stunning she was. But this wasn’t a date. His partner’s wife was fighting for her life. Had things gone differently, it would have been Sydney. He pushed down the ball of fear in his gut at the thought of a world without her.
    “So, were there any suspects in New York?”
    She set her cup down. “The detective, Detective Fletcher, looked at all my friends and coworkers, but I guess there was nothing there.”
    “Any he focused on?”
    “Not really.”
    Mitch wondered if that were true. He knew he always had people of interest when investigating a crime. The hard part was finding evidence that indicated which person was guilty. “I’d like his number. Let him know about this attack and see what he might have that can help.”
    Sydney reached for her purse, pulled out a business card, and handed it to him. He used his phone to scan the card into his contact list.
    “Who’d he take a serious look at?” Mitch handed the card back to her.
    She sighed. “The only one I felt might be involved was Doctor Singer. I worked with him in Jordan. I had dinner with him a few times, but when I realized he thought we were dating, I stopped seeing him. But he was persistent.”
    “Persistent how?”
    “He kept asking me to eat with him. If I was having a meal with other people, he’d join in. That was annoying, but not concerning. But he showed up in New York a month or so after I got home. Said he was looking for work there and wanted to know if I wanted to get together.”
    Mitch kept his face impassive, even as his brain thought of cruel and unusual ways to hurt Doctor Singer. “Did you?”
    “I met him for lunch, but I brought Patrick with me. I figured if Doctor Singer thought I was seeing someone, he’d leave me alone. And it worked. At least I thought it did. I haven’t heard from him since.”
    “Did Patrick know he was a decoy date?”
    “Yes. I’ve known Patrick since I was a child. I’m sure I talked about him and Julia when we were in college. They were with me at the fair this weekend.”
    Mitch nodded. “If the same guy attacked you and Jenny, we have to look at who has been both in New York and here. I’ll see what I can learn about this Doctor Singer, but what about Patrick? Maybe he didn’t like being a decoy date. Maybe he wanted more. If I remember correctly, he’d once had more.”
    Sydney shook her head and waved Mitch’s comment away. “No. He’s like a brother to me.”
    “Is he still in town?”
    Sydney’s jaw tightened and her eyes flashed with annoyance. “He and Julia left this morning. Long before the attack.”
    Mitch nodded but made a mental note to check on Patrick’s whereabouts at the time Jenny was assaulted.
    As if she knew what he was thinking, Sydney said, “Patrick is a good man. He’s the one I stayed with after the attack. He took care of me.”
    “Where were your parents? And I thought you weren’t hurt badly.”
    “They were on safari in Africa. I couldn’t reach them. And my wound wasn’t fatal, but I was hurt and needed help for a short time.”
    “So you and he never rekindled your high school romance?” Mitch inwardly kicked himself. It wasn’t a relevant question.
    “No.” But there was